


Worth a shot

by chick_with_wifi, karolprado



Series: "Really, Moms?" [1]
Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/F, Families of Choice, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-06
Updated: 2017-05-06
Packaged: 2018-10-28 19:42:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10838091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chick_with_wifi/pseuds/chick_with_wifi, https://archiveofourown.org/users/karolprado/pseuds/karolprado
Summary: Root and Shaw's adventures in the suburbs after adopting Gen.





	Worth a shot

“If somebody is being an ass to you, Gen, you gotta keep your thumb on the outside of your fist when you punch them in the face.”

Shaw demonstrated making her right hand into fist and mimed punching Root in the face. “Like that. Keep your wrist straight and follow your punch through, don't just stop the second you make contact with their face. Your turn.”

Gen copied Shaw exactly, the only difference being instead of just pretending she actually did punch Root in the face. Hard.

“Did you see that? She punched me!” Root exclaimed, tapping Shaw on the arm to make sure she had her attention.

“Yeah I told her to do that,” Shaw said, rubbing the back of her neck.

“You - but - I - why?”

“Because we're teaching Gen how to stop people being an ass to her, and considering you're the biggest ass we know it seemed like good practice.”

“Your ass is bigger than -”

Gen stuck her fingers in her ears and sang “la la la” until Shaw gave Root a longsuffering ‘look what you've done now’ look, which made her mime zipping her lips.

“I’ll be quiet,” Root promised. “You won't even know I’m here. Just like a dummy.”

“You are a dummy,” Shaw muttered.

Gen sniggered. “So, what else can you teach me? Hand to hand combat? Headlock? How to escape from a headlock?” With each option she got more excited and bounced up and down on her heels.

“I can teach you how to shoot two guns at once,” Root said. “Not to brag, but Sameen said it was hot the first time I did it.”

Shaw pinched the bridge of her nose and whispered, “What part of being quiet did she not understand?”

“Yeah teach me!” Gen said enthusiastically.

Root pulled two guns out of her waistband and held one in either hand, taking aim at the tree in the far end of their garden.

“Those better have the safety on,” Shaw said with a hint of what Root and Gen both recognised as concern.

“Safety first, I know,” Root said. “The trick is to only think about where you want to shoot, not what your hands are doing. Focus on the target.”

“We aren't teaching Gen how to shoot!” Shaw said, running a hand through her hair in frustration. It was like having two 11 year olds in the house. “You're as bad as each other.”

“Maybe next time.” Root shrugged apologetically and put her guns away.

“Now as I was saying,” Shaw continued like nothing had happened. “If some dude touches you and it makes you uncomfortable: hit him.”

-

“You're doing great Sweetie!” Root called from where she was lounging on a lawn chair outside, glass of iced tea in one hand and a romance novel in the other, which she had been ‘reading’ for the past half hour.

In reality, she hadn't turned a single page and she was so distracted staring at Shaw’s legs that she hadn't noticed her sunglasses sliding halfway down her nose.

“Show that soccer ball who’s boss!”

Shaw pointedly ignored Root and showed Gen which part of the ball it was best to aim at when scoring a goal. “Depending on what angle you're aiming for, you pick a spot somewhere around here and kick. Don't slam it, because then you sacrifice precision. Forcefully nudge it in the correct direction, and it should go where you want it to.”

“Good advice Sweetie!”

Gen’s aim moved with her attention, and her kick ended up feebly moving the ball a few centimetres in the exact opposite direction to the goal.

“Root,” Shaw said in her most threatening tone. “I’m trying to coach our dau - Gen. I’m trying to coach Gen.

“Sorry,” Root said. “I’ll be quiet now.” 

“Shall we practice shooting some goals now?” Shaw asked.

Gen nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah!”

“You're good at this,” Shaw said as Gen managed to score her second goal of the minute despite Shaw’s best attempts at stopping her.

“I learned from the best,” she replied, faking right and kicking the ball to the left. “There’s no way I won't make the team now.”

The ball flew past Shaw, whose fingertips just skimmed it before it landed in the net. “There is officially nothing left for me to teach you about soccer,” she said, squatting down to Gen’s height and putting her hands on Gen’s shoulders. “You are ready for these tryouts. But remember that making the team isn't the be all and end all, this is also about learning how to work with others and adapt to new situations.”

“Got it. Thanks, Shaw!”

Gen went inside to get them some lemonade and Root walked over to Shaw. “You almost called Gen our daughter,” she said.

“I know. It's not like the kid has anybody else to look out for her. And she does kinda live with us now.” Shaw sighed. “She is so bright, but nobody except us sees her potential.”

“I spoke to Harry,” Root said quietly, keeping an eye on Gen to make sure she wasn't close enough to overhear. “He is her legal guardian at the moment, but I’m working on getting the right paperwork for us to adopt her properly. Only if you want to, of course.”

“Of course I want to, she’s basically family already.”

-

The bleachers for Gen's school soccer match were packed. Root and Shaw were sitting in the middle of the front row with handmade ‘Go Gen’ signs painted rainbow and covered with glitter.

Gen had never had anybody go to this much trouble for her before, so Root and Shaw were determined to take an interest in things Gen likes and make this first game extra special. They were those overly enthusiastic parents that most kids would hate but Gen loved.

“She’s looking over Sameen look, Sameen put your phone down and wave!”

“I’m trying to take a picture-”

“Sam please.”

“OK fine.”

When Gen looked over to the bleachers, she saw Root and Shaw smiling and waving with their sign and smiled the biggest smile they had ever seen on her face.

She was tearing up and down the field, manipulating the ball with such accuracy that it looked like she was controlling it telepathically. 

"YES GEN KICK HIS ASS." 

"This is a non contact sport, Sweetie." 

"GO GEN SCORE A GOAL! Happy now?" 

"You make me happy every day."

Once the first few minutes had passed and the players were getting into the swing of the game, all the cheering died down. But there was this one soccer mom in a tracksuit, sitting next to Root and Shaw, who continued to cheer loudly for her son and every few seconds reminded them all, “That's my Edward, the one in the blue kit with curly hair. That's it Edward!”

Edward, who was on the opposite team to Gen, ignored his mom completely and didn't even seem that interested in the game. Instead he was watching the birds in the sky above him and barely noticed the ball whoosh right past him and go to a member of the other team.

“Edward! Stop staring at those stupid birds and kick the ball!” his mom shouted at the top of her lungs.

But at that point, Gen had the ball and kicked it to her teammate who was near Edward, and the second the ball came near him he flinched and one arm reflexively covered his face, as though he expected it to come flying at him.

But the ball didn't touch him, and Gen’s teammate scored a goal.

“Did you see that?” Edward’s mom asked the other parents, her face horrified. “Genrika kicked the ball at Edward! That goal should be taken away and Genrika disqualified.”

“The damn ball didn't even touch Edward,” Shaw said angrily. She stood up and began rolling up her sleeves and taking off her watch. “Root, hold my watch.”

“Sameen, sit down, Sweetie. We aren't going to fight this nice lady,” Root said, nervously glancing at the clock to see how long the match had left. 

“She wants to get Gen disqualified for something she didn't even do! And, like I said before, the damn ball didn't even touch Edward,” Shaw said.

“I don't think that is appropriate language to be using around children,” Edward’s mom said.

Root flipped her off and muttered something unrepeatable under her breath. Then she composed herself and said with forced cheerfulness, “You teaching children to lie is much worse than anything my wife ever said. And don't even think about accusing my daughter of something she didn't do. OK?”

Edward’s mom turned bright red but didn't say anything.

Well, didn't say anything for an entire minute. Then she went back to complaining about everyone and their dog, apart from her darling Edward who was perfect and obviously about to be named player of the match.

For the most part Root and Shaw ignored her, apart from sharing ‘can you believe her?’ glances every now and then.

By halfway through, the teams were drawing. Two goals each and the tension was rising with every movement the ball made.

When there was only a minute left on the clock, Gen had the ball and slammed her foot down on one side of it. The ball shot out from underneath her foot and barrelled across the pitch, taking down a member of the opposing team and the goalkeeper before firmly embedding itself in the goal.

Gen’s eyes widened as she realised what had happened. Then she clasped her hands together and looked to the bleachers where Root and Shaw were giving her a standing ovation. 

“Did you see that? Our Gen scored the winning goal!” Root told anybody who would listen. “I’m so proud. I mean, she did hit a member of the other team but it was still a goal.”

They raced down to the pitch and both hugged Gen, saying how proud they were. It made her so happy, and the coach said she was the best player on the team. 

As a special treat, they took Gen to her favourite ice cream parlor and let her have the largest sundae on the menu.

Root and Shaw sat on one side of the booth with Gen opposite them. 

“I know sport is important to you, Gen, but Root and I have noticed that you haven't been spending as much time studying as you used to. Remember to always do your homework and try your hardest in school,” Shaw said. 

“But you and Root-”

“I went through med school,” Shaw reminded her. “That was no walk in the park, believe me.”

“And even though I dropped out when I was 12 and taught myself nearly everything I know, I recognise that the system works for most people,” Root said. “And you could definitely learn a lot. So stay in school and don't do drugs.”

“I wasn't planning on doing drugs,” Gen said, giving Root a slightly concerned look. 

“Can you believe Edward’s mom, though?” Root asked, changing the subject completely. “Some people complain about everything, and we had to end up sitting next to one of them. Poor Edward didn't even look like he wanted to be there.”

“Ed? No, he wants to be one of those people that works with birds. What are they called? Орнитолог, my dedushka was one,” said Gen.

“Ornithologist,” Root said, looking the word up on her phone.

Gen snapped her fingers. “That's it.” 

-

“He cheated on me!” Gen sobbed, blowing her nose loudly. “With stupid Stephanie of all people! I mean, I’m pan but i just don't get what he sees in her. What a jerk.”

She paced up and down the living room for the millionth time. That was her main way of expressing anger in a way that didn't get anybody hurt, but she was in serious danger of wearing a hole in the floor. She treated frustrated pacing like it was a competitive sport. “He deserves to pay, nobody treats me like that and gets away with it.”

“Cheating on Gen is gonna be the last thing that asshole ever did,” Shaw muttered under her breath. “Root and I are gonna hand his ass to him on a plate.”

“Tell him to turn on his location,” Root said in a tone that implied vengeance was about to happen. “I can find him quite easily without it, but he deserves to know we are coming for him and there ain't squat he can do about it.”

“I’m going to slap him so hard the slap will reverberate around the earth, come back and slap him again,” Shaw said.

“He’s going to find that all his money has been donated to charity,” Root said.

“I’m going to -”

They both began talking at the same time, listing the elaborate and ruthless ways they were going to subtly ruin his life. 

“Moms!” Gen said loudly, interrupting both of them. “It's ok, I already took care of it.”

Root blinked. “You did?”

“I did,” Gen said smugly.

“Did you punch him?” Shaw asked.

“Did you hack him?” Root asked.

“Both. At the same time,” Gen said.

“They grow up so fast,” Root said with a fake sob. “We taught her well.”


End file.
